This invention relates to firearms, and in particular, to a foregrip removably attached to the forward part of a rifle.
The AR (Armalite Rifle) platform has been the United States standard battle rifle platform for the past fifty years. Introduced in the 1960's as a replacement for the M-14 rifle, M-16's were deployed in Vietnam as the military's new standard battle rifle. The M-16 was originally known as the AR-15, the designation originating from the Armalite company that produces the first M-16's.
In the intervening years, the AR platform evolved to more sophisticated configurations and capabilities. One major innovation was the introduction of the Picatinny rail system adopted Feb. 3, 1995 as a standardized mounting system that allows accessories from multiple vendors to be mounted on the battle rifle and interchangeable from one weapon to another.
The Picatinny rail, alternatively known as the U.S. MIL-STD-1913 rail, NATO Stanag 2324 rail, or simply “Tactical Rail,” is a bracket used on firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. The Picatinny rail is a dovetail or T-shaped mount with diagonal grooves that prevent the mounting accessory from moving back and farther due to recoil. The rail comprises a series of ridges with a T-shaped cross-section interspersed with flat “spacing slots.” Accessories are mounted either by sliding them on from one end to the other, by means of a mount which is clamped to the rail with bolts, thumbscrews or levers, or onto the slots between raised sections.
With the advent of the Picatinny rail system, manufacturers began producing various accessories to aid soldiers in the field with a wide array of products ranging from multiple telescopic sights, range-finding devices, red-dot aiming devices, laser aiming devices, rail-mounted flashlights, alternate sights, and bi-pods, all of which represents the majority of catagories of accessories available for mounting on the Picatinny rails. Vertical foregrips and other accessories mounted at the 6 o'clock position on shoulder fired weapons have become known in military, law enforcement and civilian arenas.
A vertical foregrip is designed to attach to a firearm for the forward hand (or “offhand”). These aid in the maneuverability of the firearm, since the natural angle of a person's outstretched hand is more oriented to grasping objects at a vertical angle, rather than a horizontal one perpendicular to the body. Prior art foregrips attachable to rifles provide some levels of utilization but are less functional in design. Most foregrips of this type are constructed whereby the interior of the foregrip is a hollow cavity for storing “small parts.” Other uses comprise installing batteries inside the foregrip cavity to power Picatinny rail-mounted flashlights, or where the foregrip and flashlight are an integral unit and the batteries again are contained within the foregrip cavity. Some prior art grips provide the option of allowing the foregrip to be positioned at various angles.